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Penn State's Casey Indicted

October 25, 2000 / 1:39 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Penn State quarterback Rashard Casey has been indicted by a grand jury on an assault charge in the alleged beating of an off-duty policeman, according to published reports.

Casey was indicted by the grand jury investigating the May beating in Casey's hometown of Hoboken, N.J., the newspapers said.

Casey and high school teammate Desmond Miller both pleaded innocent to aggravated assault charges in the case earlier this year.

Reports of the indictment, based on anonymous sources, were carried in Wednesday's editions of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Centre (Pa.) Daily Times, the Philadelphia Daily News, The Patriot-News of Harrisburg, Pa., and USA Today.

USA Today said Casey was indicted on third-degree felony assault and could face five years in prison if convicted. It said his trial was expected to begin next year.

The Patriot-News and the Daily News said Casey was indicted with second-degree assault, which could bring a 10-year prison sentence upon conviction.

Terrence Hull, first assistant Hudson County prosecutor, said he could not disclose results of the grand jury proceedings for at least a week. But he said he would be permitted to speak about the case if no indictments had been made.

Casey's lawyer, Dennis D. McAlevy, refused to comment.

Anthony Pope, attorney for Officer Patrick D. Fitzsimmons, the victim of the alleged beating, said he could not confirm whether Casey had been indicted.

Penn State sports information director Jeff Nelson also said he could not confirm whether the grand jury had decided to press charges.

Hull said Tuesday that the grand jury heard testimony on Oct. 17 and Tuesday regarding the attack on Fitzsimmons, 34, of Hoboken.

Police said Casey punched Fitzsimmons, and that Casey and Miller kicked Fitzsimmons repeatedly in the head after he left a bar at 2:30 a.m. on May 14. Police said the men were angry that Fitzsimmons, who is white, left the bar with a black woman.

Casey, who led the Nittany Lions to a victory in the Alamo Bowl last year, remains on the team pending the outcome of an investigation by a Penn State judicial review committee.